Owning a business with two locations is a tough task for just about anyone. But throw in the added task of being a high school student at the same time, and it’s something most folks wouldn’t even dream of.

But Kyle Jagassar isn’t most folks, and by the time he graduated from Dakota Collegiate in June, that dream was a reality.

Kyle, who recently turned 18, is the owner of Matrix Mobile, an electronics repair company operating with two locations in Winnipeg. The first location opened in the Exchange District in late 2015, and the second followed up in St. Vital in the spring of this year.

“I’ve always wanted to start a business in tech,” said Kyle. “I’ve always looked for a way of doing that, and my way of getting into the technology industry was by doing repairs. It’s something that I like to do and I’m passionate about.”

“I was really curious to see how it all worked. I wanted to take it apart and put it back together,” said Kyle, who got some of his knowledge from watching tutorials on YouTube. “The first time I did it, I was really excited.”

Early Beginnings
Kyle’s first foray into the business world was when he first entered high school a few years ago. At that time, he was making custom phone cases. What started off as something small among his friends soon grew to be in demand at high schools through the south end of the city. Kyle called them ‘Matrix Cases’.

From there came Matrix Repair, based out of Kyle’s bedroom. There, self-taught through YouTube videos and hands-on learning, he developed the skills required to repair cracked screens, broken home buttons, water damage and any other conceivable phone ailment. Once again, his business gained popularity.

Kyle first started running his phone repair business out of his bedroom, before making the plunge and buying a store front at the age of 17.

“I kind of miss it, honestly. But it just got to the point where we couldn’t handle the customers and the calls and everything.”

“So eight months ago we got the Exchange District store, and two months ago we opened up the St. Vital store.”Giving Back in Different Ways
Part of Kyle’s plan going forward with Matrix Mobile is to give back to the community, with a main goal of establishing a scholarship for high school students in Louis Riel School Division who have started or are looking to start their own business.

“We have three paths for giving back to the community: event sponsorship, silent auction donation and a scholarship. We’re trying to stand out in the community, and we’re trying to give back in that way.”

Down the Road
Kyle will be attending Red River College starting in the fall, enrolled in the school’s business administration program. Kyle acknowledges that he will have to be less hands on when school starts in the fall, focusing mostly on the back-end of the business.

“I won’t have lots of time, so I’ve set the business up in a way that I can do less. We have managers at each store, and they’ll be able to watch the stores. Most of my work now is in the back-end, focusing on finances and that sort of thing. I’ll just have to find time to do it.”

“We have lots of plans, and there’s lots of room or growth. If you don’t know about matrix yet, you’re going to in the next few years.”